Michael Corinthos
| died = | age = | death cause = | occupation = Current Student at PCU Former Warehouse manager Student at Madison Prep ELQ Intern | title = | residence = 827 Emerson, Apartment 3-C Port Charles, New York | family = Quartermaine/Spencer Corinthos | parents = A. J. Quartermaine Carly Benson Sonny Corinthos (adoptive) | siblings = Dante Falconeri (adoptive) Kristina Davis (adoptive) Morgan Corinthos Josslyn Jacks | spouse = | romances = Marita (fling) Abby Haver (2010–11) | children = | grandchildren = | grandparents = Alan Quartermaine Monica Quartermaine John Durant Bobbie Spencer Frank Benson (adoptive) Virginia Benson (adoptive) Mike Corbin (adoptive) Adela Corinthos (adoptive) | aunts/uncles = Skye Chandler (adoptive) Jason Morgan Emily Quartermaine (adoptive) Dawn Winthrop B. J. Jones (adoptive) Lucas Jones (adoptive) Ric Lansing (adoptive) Courtney Matthews (adoptive) | nieces/nephews = | cousins = Lila Rae Alcazar (adoptive) Jake Spencer Molly Lansing (adoptive) Spencer Cassadine (adoptive) | relatives = Lulu Spencer (sister-in-law) Mike Corbin (godfather) Emily Quartermaine (godmother) Great-grandparents' Edward Quartermaine Lila Quartermaine Tim Spencer Lena Eckert | species = }} Michael Corinthos, III is a fictional character on the ABC soap opera, General Hospital Born on-screen on December 29, 1997, Michael has been portrayed by actor Chad Duell since April 2010. Conception Casting Michael was portrayed by child actors, Blake & Dylan Hopkins from December 1997 to 2001. Child actor Tiarnan Cunningham took over the role from 2001 to 2002. On March 28, 2002, actor Dylan Cash stepped into the role of Michael. Cash is put on contract in April 2005 and departs from the show in May 2008 after Michael's shooting. Dylan Cash's last appearance as Michael is on December 29, 2008. Cash earned a Young Artist Award for his portrayal of Michael in March 2003. Actor Drew Garrett appeared as an awakened 17-year-old Michael starting on April 24, 2009. On March 22, 2010 Garrett was released from his contract and last aired April 19, 2010. Duell then stepped into the role on April 20, 2010. Backstory Michael is born on-screen on December 29, 1997 to Carly Benson and is being raised by his mother's friend, Jason Morgan. He is born with a severe heart condition, and Jason must make the decision to save his life through surgery. Carly, suffering from postpartum depression leaves town and leaves the infant in the care of Jason and his girlfriend, Robin Scorpio. Jason would later name him after his best friend, mob boss, Michael "Sonny" Corinthos. In February 1998, Michael is christened with Jason's sister, Emily and Mike Corbin standing up as his godparents. Meanwhile, Carly ex-fiancé, Tony Jones learns he isn't Michael's real father and kidnaps the boy. Fed up with Carly's constant dependence on Jason, Robin tells Jason's alcoholic brother, A. J. Quartermaine that he is Michael's biological father. Carly and A. J. marry in the spring of 1999 and her plan to prove A. J. as an unfit alcoholic father is set into motion. Carly becomes involved with Sonny who forces A. J. into divorcing Carly. They marry in September 2000; but the marriage is very rocky, they divorce in 2001, and Sonny adopts Michael. Sonny and Carly would re-marry again in 2002, and soon welcome a son, Morgan. Meanwhile, it is also learned that Sonny fathered two daughters, one with his attorney Alexis named Kristina and another with Alexis's daughter, Sam McCall, named Lila, who is stillborn. In February 2005, A. J. kidnaps, Michael, Morgan and Kristina. A. J. soon released Kristina and Morgan, and fakes Michael's death; A. J. plans to flee the country with Michael are put on hold when Michael is rescued. Consequently, Michael is the prime suspect when A. J. is murdered in April 2005. Carly and Sonny marry for the last time in 2007, but they divorce soon after and Carly marries Jasper Jacks who becomes like a second father two the boys. Development Gun Violence Prison Stint and Rape One of the most controversial soap plots of 2010 was Michael's rape at hands of another inmate Carter (Joshua Wingate) during his stay in Pentonville Prison for killing his step-mother. However, when the story is playing out, viewers are left to wonder if Michael was actually raped by Carter. GH's then head-writer, Bob Guza at first wanted to focus more the reality of many real life kids, Michael's age who ended up in situations, similar to his. Though the potential storyline garnered the attention of many, some questioned if the show went too far in the storyline. Do to the rarity of television shows dealing with reality of prison rape, critics wondered if the story was being used progressively or just garner ratings. Showing the affects of the off-screen rape on a young Michael is so much more heartbreaking than if they show the actual attack. Fellow soap operas, All My Children, The Young and the Restless, and One Life to Live all had did storylines that allude to prison in the 80s, but GH was the first of the genre to actually address the reality in full. TV Guide's Michael Logan compares the storyline to Oz! believing as he along with many others expected that to show people the full experience, they would eventually have to confirm the Michael was raped. Guza dances around the subject, reminding viewers that what happened to Michael (not rape), but the hostility from other prisoners who be normal, seeing that Michael, is the son of a powerful mob boss. Viewers had suspected for months that Michael had been raped in prison, and he finally confesses to the rape on January 31, when Michael sees his girlfriend Abby about to be raped by her ex-boyfriend, and begins to relive his ordeal while in prison. Guza recalls the day he pitches the idea for the storyline to then ABC Daytime president, Brian Frons. Though there was nothing too revealing, Bob Guza wanted to make sure the people noticed the visual and physical similarities between the attempted rape on Abby, and Michael actual rape in prison. Michael saving of Abby before she is actually raped serves as a kind of "catharsis" for him, allowing him to finally admit to Jason (Steve Burton), Sonny and Carly what actually happened to him. Guza also reveals that he liked Bogart's portrayal of Abby so much that he planned ahead of time for her to be the one to help Michael. Not only is Michael able to admit to own rape, and save Abby from experiencing the same thing, but with Abby's help, he learns how to trust again, which is something he had a lot of trouble with after the rape. Michael loses his virginity Abby on March 28, 2011. Storylines 2007–2009 In the fall 2007, Michael and Morgan's longtime nanny, Leticia Juarez, as well as his aunt, Emily Quartermaine are murdered by the Text Message Killer. Michael fears for his family's safety, and buys a gun. When he tries to get rid of it, he accidentally shoots Sonny's girlfriend, Kate Howard. Michael runs away from home, but later agrees to meet his mother at a warehouse. As the two are reunited the building explodes, but fortunately, both survive. Meanwhile, Sonny leaves the mob and tries to expose Michael to the his legit coffee business. In April 2007 at Sonny's coffee warehouse, a sniper hired by Claudia Zacchara to take out Sonny, accidentally shoots Michael, putting him into a coma. In May 2008, Michael is sent to a long term care facility when his doctor says the coma is permanent. A 17 year old Michael wakes up from his coma in May 2009 after an experimental surgery performed by Dr. Patrick Drake. Sonny is now married to Claudia and they are expecting a child, while Carly and Jax are also preparing to welcome their baby. Michael lashes out believing his mother is trying to replace him, and his anger issues continue to get worse. To keep Carly from stressing out, Michael moves in with Sonny, briefly until Carly sends him to live with his A. J.s' family, the Quartermaines. Michael clashes with Kristina's new boyfriend, Kiefer Bauer who constantly harasses him. In July 2009, Michael's rage surfaces again while he is driving and he believes he may have caused Claudia's car accident which leads to her miscarriage. Michael decides to skip town to keep from getting arrested and Kristina accompanies him to Mexico. Claudia sends Jerry Jacks after the teens and holds them captive in a hotel room before they are rescued by Jason and Sam. It is also learned that Kristina accidentally caused Claudia's car accident. Michael soon begins recovering repressed memories from his time in a coma and realizes Claudia was responsible for his shooting. At Claudia's birthday party in October 2009, Sonny calls Claudia out and she panics and takes a pregnant Carly hostage. Michael is on his way out of town when he discovers Claudia's car on the side of the road. He hears his mother's screaming as Claudia tries to escape with his new sister, Josslyn and he hits Claudia with an ax-handle instantly killing her. Jason, Sonny and Carly decide to cover up Michael's involvement in the murder, unaware that Maxie Jones saw Michael's blood on Sonny's shirt, and that the crazed artist, Franco took pictures of the entire incident. Michael decides he wants to be apart of the mob as well, and carry Claudia's accidental death as a badge of honor. Michael's cousin, Detective Lucky Spencer observes Michael's unusual behavior and realizes the boy knows something about Claudia's disappearance. Michael gets into a fight at Jake's and Lucky arrives to help break it up. In December 2009, on his 18th birthday, Michael is pulled over for drunk driving; fortunately Lucky goes easy on him and as he understands why Michael is being so self-destructive. Sonny takes Michael's car keys as part of his punishment, while Carly scolds him driving drunk, reminding him of what happened to Jason. Michael reminds Carly that it was his biological father, A. J. who caused the accident and that he may be more like A. J. than he thought. 2010— In February 2010, Michael learns that his new bodyguard Dominic Pirelli, is actually undercover cop, Dante Falconeri and Sonny's son from his teenage years. In March 2010, Kristina accuses Ethan Lovett of beating her to a pulp. However, it is Michael who is familiar with Kiefer's hostile behavior and realizes Kiefer was the one who beat her, not Ethan. Sonny is soon put on trial for Claudia's murder and they send Michael to Sonny's private island to keep him away. In April 2010, Dante goes to the island and brings Michael back to Port Charles to testify against Sonny. As Sonny's trial begins, Dante announces to the judge that it was Michael who killed Claudia. Judge Peter Carroll is so furious with the family's attempt to cover up the truth that he sentences Michael to 5 years in Pentonville Prison (eligible for parole in 2). While in prison, Michael befriends Carter when he protects him from guys looking to jump him. However, Carter warns Michael that he will have to pay for his protection and hints at sexual favors. Michael refuses and Carter proceeds to rape (off-screen) him on May 21, 2010 just before Jason arrives and kills him. Before dying, Carter reveals that Franco sent him after Michael. After much pleading, Judge Carrol releases Michael into Dante's care and Michael moves in with Dante and Lulu, while he is on probation. Meanwhile, Michael and Kristina are terrorized by a gun wielding Warren Bauer, who wants revenge for his son, Kiefer's death. In July 2010, Warren pulls a gun on Kristina at the hospital and Michael steps into to protect her; fortunately Warren is shot by police commissioner Mac Scorpio. Life outside of prison proves to be difficult and he shows signs of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. In October 2010, Michael is approached by Kristina's friend Allison who has a crush on and he confides in Jason that he doesn't have any "experience" with women. Sam introduces him to her stripper friend, Abigail "Candy" Haver, but things don't goes as planned as Michael is still afraid for anyone to touch him. In November 2010, Claire Walsh is able to get Michael's parole lifted so that Sonny can have access to Michael. Michael and Abby continue to bond and they begin dating in December 2010. Soon, Abby's abusive ex-boyfriend Brandon resurfaces and wants her back. Meanwhile, Carly doesn't approve of the relationship and it drives a wedge between the mother and son. In late January 2011, Brandon tries to rape her and this triggers Michael's memories of Carter forcing him to attack Brandon. Michael finally comes clean about the rape and Carly, Sonny & Jason are devastated. After telling the truth, Michael is able to come to terms with the rape and he and Abby make love for the first time on March 28. When Brandon attacks Abby again in her apartment, Michael threatens to kill him. Michael is the prime suspect when Brandon is discovered dead in April 2011. However, Abby is released when it learned that Anthony Zacchara framed Abby in an attempt to lure Michael into working for him. Michael soon realizes that Kristina isn't coping with being put on the waiting list at Yale, and she has began using drugs. Later, Michael gets Kristina to admit that Dr. Lisa Niles tricked her into taking hydrocodone. In June 2011, it is revealed that Kristina applied to college for him and during his graduation ceremony, he gets into a fight with one of Kiefer's friends when he badmouths Kristina. Jason tells Michael he was right to protect his sister, and then hires Michael to work legitimately at the coffee warehouse where he soon works his way up to manager. When his parole is up, Michael and Abby decide to move in together, and he offers to pay half the rent. Later, Michael is approached by his great-grandfather, Edward who offers him a job at ELQ; later Michael agrees on the condition that Abby gets a job as well. References External Links Category:General Hospital characters Category:Corinthos family